13 Perfect Instagrammable Places in Heraklion, Crete

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Most people who come to Heraklion pop in to see the Palace of Knossos, and then move on to more traditionally picturesque parts of Crete. However, after staying in Heraklion in December for two weeks, I have to say that the city has completely charmed me.

While it has a more grimy exterior in places, I absolutely adore that about the city. Beyond this, though, there are so many beautiful Instagrammable places in Heraklion and hidden photography spots that you should definitely give the city more than a passing glance.

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The Most Instagrammable Places in Heraklion

Sinaitiko Cafe

While the city is full of delicious cafes, the most Instagrammable cafe in Heraklion (in my opinion) is Sinaitiko Cafe off of Saint Catherine Square. You can sit outside and enjoy a Greek coffee while looking at the beautiful Agios Minas Cathedral and watching the pigeons gather in the trees. Though it would be a shame if you came and didn’t snap a pic of the lovely green door juxtaposed against the orange trees.

Location: Archontopoulon 14, Iraklio 712 01, Greece

Palace of Knossos

Most people come to Heraklion explicitly to see the famous Palace of Knossos. If you want to get shots without tourists in them, come early! You can buy a Skip the Line pass and arrive first thing in the morning to help you avoid the crowds.

Koules Fortress, Venetian Harbor, & Lighthouse

You can’t visit Heraklion and skip the Venetian Harbor. Koules Fortress juts out into the water with the lighthouse at the end of the causeway. When you come down, give yourself enough time to really explore every angle. This shot above is my take on the classic fortress shot. But there are so many other cool angels you can do!

Historic Lakkos District

Lakkos Historic District is the former red light district in Heraklion, but these days it is celebrating its seedy past with an amazing display of street art and art projects. If you love street art, you’ll be in heaven here!

Rocks on the Shore

A lot of the shoreline in Heraklion is rocky. Even though these areas aren’t the gorgeous sandy Cretan beaches people come to the island for, they still make a great photo opportunity! Come at golden hour so you can play with the reflections and intense colors.

Location: the shoreline all around Heraklion

Beautiful Doorways

If you get out into the residential streets, you can find all kinds of beautiful doors here. I love this green one I found while wandering the city (can’t remember exactly where). Get out and explore the city and find your own gorgeous Heraklion doorway!

Heraklion Tetrapods

I fell in love with Crete’s tetrapods while in Rethymnon, but there are some of these super cool engineering marvels protecting the shoreline in Heraklion as well. I can’t find information on whether or not they’re actually safe to crawl out on, so do so at your own risk. But the shot sure does look cool.

Of course, you can photograph them by themselves, as they make quite an interesting subject against the water.

Location: near the Lighthouse in the Venetian Harbor

The Beach

Most people don’t come to Heraklion for a beach vacation, instead, they come for the culture and architecture and then move onto the beaches on the rest of the island. There are some gorgeous beaches in Heraklion prefecture, including Matala Beach and Stalis Beach.

There’s no end to the gorgeous beach shots you can get on any beach, so they aren’t exactly Heraklion-only Instagram shots. However, no trip to Crete should go without at least one (or five) amazing beach days, and you might as well bring your camera when you come down.

Location: All over, but the closes is at Arkadias 33, Xeropotamos 713 03, Greece

However, this shot of the sky through the top of the courtyard might be my favorite! I do feel stupid, as I spent a ton of time in this courtyard, and never thought to take this pic!

Location: August Str. 25, Iraklio 712 02, Greece

Agios Minas Cathedral

I stayed across the street from the Cathedral for two weeks, and I have to say that it’s a building I have truly grown to love. It’s impressive without being overpowering. There are two squared next to it, one in front and Saint Catherine Square to the side.

Morosini Fountain

The fountain has definitely seen better days, but you can’t come to Heraklion and not grab a pic. I enjoyed sitting at the Phyllo Sophies cafe next to the fountain, sipping Greek coffee and eating bougasta while looking at the faded beauty of the fountain and the square.

Location: Pl. El. Venizelou, Iraklio 712 02, Greece

More Crete Travel Resources

Headed to Crete? If this is your first trip to Greece, check out our guide to Planning a Trip to Greece, which covers visas, budgets, vaccines, and everything else you need to consider as you plan your trip.

We publish new articles and trip advice nearly daily! For more information about traveling to Greece and the Balkans, bookmark our Greece and Balkan travel pages, where you’ll find our entire archive plus anything new we publish before you leave for your trip.

Finally, Don’t Forget Travel Insurance

I’m sure you’re aware that travel insurance is essential for Crete and for travel in general! This is especially true when you’re talking about traveling with your camera and smartphone near the water because you don’t want your trip ruined if they get lost, stolen, or fall in the Mediterranean.

Allison and I have both been paying customers of World Nomads for the last three years. We love the peace of mind it gives us in case of emergencies, accidents, illnesses, theft, or trip cancellation or disruption.

While Crete is perfectly safe to travel around, there’s always a risk inherent in everyday travel, so it’s better to play it safe. The saying goes “if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel” is true!

Pin This Guide to the Best Heraklion Instagram Spots for Your Trip to Crete

Stephanie has been living in and traveling around the Balkans for the past three years. She’s written for National Geographic Online, appeared on CNN Arabic and in the New York Times, and ridden more Balkan buses than is good for a person.

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Welcome to Sofia Adventures! We're Stephanie and Allison, two American travel bloggers who moved to Bulgaria. We use Sofia as our base to discover our favorite region in the world - the Balkans! We're here to share our knowledge from our past 3+ years of traveling the Balkans and inspire you to plan a trip to this beautiful part of the world.

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